“When I heard their stories, I felt like I knew them all my life. It reminded me of the process I had to go through to leave my country and come over to the United States,” Ali said.
Ali came to the United States at a young age seeking advanced medical care after losing one of his legs in an accident. As an adult, he became friends with a few people from Mariners Church who invited him to sign up for Rooted. At the end of his Rooted experience, Ali said “I believe” for the first time and made the decision to follow Jesus.
When Ali signed up to serve with Voice of the Refugees (VOR) and deliver food to refugee families, he wasn’t sure what to expect. As a refugee himself coming from a region that had experienced a lot of conflict, he didn’t know how people from other countries would receive him. “I wasn’t sure what type of people I would be meeting and talking to. I was a bit nervous about it,” Ali said.
One of the first families he met was from Iraq, a country that had been at war with Ali’s home country of Iran for several years when Ali was young. The father of that family was a former soldier who apologized to Ali for his part in the conflict. Ali assured him that what had happened was in the past and prayed with him. He told him, “we love God and God loves us the same. You are absolutely my brother.”
The experience stuck with Ali as he continued to serve even more refugee families with VOR in the following months. “It was such a powerful moment. I just felt blessed. It was such a heartwarming experience to know God is present and God is at work,” Ali said.
We invite you to come serve with us and our partners at Voice of the Refugee (VOR) on World Refugee Awareness Day. Join us this Saturday, June 26 at a family picnic where we’ll play games, connect, share stories, build relationships with our refugee families and neighbors, and celebrate the launch of VOR’s summer programs. Learn more and sign up through the link below.
We hope to see you there!